Method for forming lead wires in hybrid-bonded semiconductor devices

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of methods for forming a hybrid-bonded semiconductor structure are disclosed. The method include disposing first second, third, and fourth dielectric layers, forming first and second openings by etching the fourth dielectric layer using a first etching selectivity, etching the third and fourth dielectric layers in the first and second openings respectively using a second etching selectivity, etching the second and third dielectric layers in the first and second openings using the first etching selectivity, etching the first dielectric layer in the first opening and the second dielectric layer in the second opening using the second etching selectivity, etching the first dielectric layer in the first and second openings using the first etching selectivity, and forming conductive material in the first and second openings.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/009,452, filed on Sep. 1, 2020, which is a divisionalapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/126,935, filed onSep. 10, 2018, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No.201710732727.2, filed on Aug. 24, 2017 and PCT Application No.PCT/CN2018/098508, filed on Aug. 3, 2018, which are incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to the field of semiconductortechnology, and more particularly, to a method for forming athree-dimensional (3D) memory device.

BACKGROUND

Planar memory cells are scaled to smaller sizes by improving processtechnology, circuit design, programming algorithm, and fabricationprocess. However, as feature sizes of the memory cells approach a lowerlimit, planar process and fabrication techniques become challenging andcostly. As such, memory density for planar memory cells approaches anupper limit. A three-dimensional (3D) memory architecture can addressthe density limitation in planar memory cells.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of hybrid bonding semiconductor structures having lead wirestructures and methods for forming the same are described in the presentdisclosure.

In some embodiments, a method for improving reliability of metal leadwires in a hybrid-bonded wafer structure is described. The methodincludes providing a substrate and forming a base dielectric layer onthe top surface of the substrate. The base dielectric layer covers thetop surface of the substrate. The method also includes forming metalconductive structures in the base dielectric layer. The method furtherincludes forming an alternating dielectric layer stack on the basedielectric layer and on the embedded conductive structures. Forming thealternating dielectric layer stack includes alternatingly forming twosilicon nitride layers and two silicon oxide layers. The method alsoincludes performing a planarization process on the alternatingdielectric layer stack, and forming metal lead wire trenches usingrespective preset etching rates for the silicon nitride and siliconoxide layers. The metal lead wire trenches expose at least portions ofthe top surfaces of the metal conductive structures. The method alsoincludes filling the metal lead wire trenches with conductive materialto form metal lead wires.

In some embodiments, the base dielectric layer is formed using chemicalvapor deposition (CVD) processes. In some embodiments, the alternatingsilicon nitride and silicon oxide layers are formed using CVD processes.

In some embodiments, forming conductive structures includes etchingmetal lead wire trenches in the base dielectric layer according to acircuit layout design. In some embodiments, the trenches are filled withconductive material that overflows onto the top surface of the basedielectric layer. The overflown portions of the conductive material areremoved such that the top surface of filled conductive material iscoplanar with the top surface of the base dielectric layer.

In some embodiments, forming the alternating dielectric layer stackincludes forming a first silicon nitride layer on the top surface of thebase dielectric layer, and the first silicon nitride layer covers thetop surface of the base dielectric layer. A first silicon oxide layer isformed and covers the top surface of the first silicon nitride layer,while a second silicon nitride layer is formed on the top surface of thefirst silicon oxide layer and covers the top surface of the firstsilicon oxide layer. A second silicon oxide layer is formed and coversthe top surface of the second silicon nitride layer.

In some embodiments, the width of the metal lead wire trench is lessthan the width of the conductive structure.

In some embodiments, the conductive structure is formed using copper andforming the metal lead wire includes disposing copper into the metallead wire trenches.

In some embodiments, forming metal lead wire by disposing metal materialinto metal lead wire trenches includes disposing metal material thatfill the trenches and overflows onto the top surface of the alternatingdielectric layer stack. The overflown portions of the metal material areremoved such that the top surface of filled metal material is coplanarwith the top surface of the alternating dielectric layer stack.

Other aspects of the present disclosure can be understood by thoseskilled in the art in light of the description, the claims, and thedrawings of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosureand, together with the description, further serve to explain theprinciples of the present disclosure and to enable a person skilled inthe pertinent art to make and use the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a semiconductor wafer having dielectric layers andembedded conductive structures for forming lead wire structures, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2-13 illustrates exemplary fabrication processes for forminghybrid bonding structures with improved lead wire structures, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 14-15 are flow diagrams illustrating exemplary methods for forminghybrid bonding structures with improved lead wire structures, inaccordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although specific configurations and arrangements are discussed, itshould be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes only. Aperson skilled in the pertinent art will recognize that otherconfigurations and arrangements can be used without departing from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to aperson skilled in the pertinent art that the present disclosure can alsobe employed in a variety of other applications.

It is noted that references in the specification to “one embodiment,”“an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” etc.,indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature,structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarilyinclude the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover,such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further,when a particular feature, structure or characteristic is described inconnection with an embodiment, it would be within the knowledge of aperson skilled in the pertinent art to effect such feature, structure orcharacteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or notexplicitly described.

In general, terminology may be understood at least in part from usage incontext. For example, the term “one or more” as used herein, dependingat least in part upon context, may be used to describe any feature,structure, or characteristic in a singular sense or may be used todescribe combinations of features, structures or characteristics in aplural sense. Similarly, terms, such as “a,” “an,” or “the,” again, maybe understood to convey a singular usage or to convey a plural usage,depending at least in part upon context.

It should be readily understood that the meaning of “on,” “above,” and“over” in the present disclosure should be interpreted in the broadestmanner such that “on” not only means “directly on” something but alsoincludes the meaning of “on” something with an intermediate feature or alayer therebetween, and that “above” or “over” not only means themeaning of “above” or “over” something but can also include the meaningit is “above” or “over” something with no intermediate feature or layertherebetween (i.e., directly on something).

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

As used herein, the term “substrate” refers to a material onto whichsubsequent material layers are added. The substrate itself can bepatterned. Materials added on top of the substrate can be patterned orcan remain unpatterned. Furthermore, the substrate can include a widearray of semiconductor materials, such as silicon, germanium, galliumarsenide, indium phosphide, etc. Alternatively, the substrate can bemade from an electrically non-conductive material, such as a glass, aplastic, or a sapphire wafer.

As used herein, the term “layer” refers to a material portion includinga region with a thickness. A layer can extend over the entirety of anunderlying or overlying structure, or may have an extent less than theextent of an underlying or overlying structure. Further, a layer can bea region of a homogeneous or inhomogeneous continuous structure that hasa thickness less than the thickness of the continuous structure. Forexample, a layer can be located between any pair of horizontal planesbetween, or at, a top surface and a bottom surface of the continuousstructure. A layer can extend horizontally, vertically, and/or along atapered surface. A substrate can be a layer, can include one or morelayers therein, and/or can have one or more layer thereupon, thereabove,and/or therebelow. A layer can include multiple layers. For example, aninterconnection layer can include one or more conductor and contactlayers (in which contacts, interconnect lines, and/or vias are formed)and one or more dielectric layers.

As used herein, the term “nominal/nominally” refers to a desired, ortarget, value of a characteristic or parameter for a component or aprocess operation, set during the design phase of a product or aprocess, together with a range of values above and/or below the desiredvalue. The range of values can be due to slight variations inmanufacturing processes or tolerances. As used herein, the term “about”indicates the value of a given quantity that can vary based on aparticular technology node associated with the subject semiconductordevice. Based on the particular technology node, the term “about” canindicate a value of a given quantity that varies within, for example,10-30% of the value (e.g., ±10%, ±20%, or ±30% of the value).

As used herein, the term “3D memory device” refers to a semiconductordevice with vertically-oriented strings of memory cell transistors(i.e., region herein as “memory strings,” such as NAND strings) on alaterally-oriented substrate so that the memory strings extend in thevertical direction with respect to the substrate. As used herein, theterm “vertical/vertically” means nominally perpendicular to a lateralsurface of a substrate.

Lead wires are conductive wires formed in semiconductor devices that areused to electrically connect two device components together. Forexample, a lead wire formed in a semiconductor wafer can include one endelectrically and physically contacting a conductive structure embeddedwithin the semiconductor wafer, while an opposing end of the lead wireis coplanar with a top surface of the semiconductor wafer and can beelectrically connected to subsequently formed device components. Leadwires can extend vertically through layers of dielectric material andone end of the lead wire can be surrounded by dielectric layers andexposed for subsequent connection to other devices. Multiple wafers canbe joined together using various bonding technologies, and lead wiresfrom each water can be electrically connected to provide electricalconnection between devices or wafers.

Hybrid bonding (also known as “metal/dielectric hybrid bonding”) is adirect wafer bonding technology that forms chemical bonds between wafersurfaces without using intermediate layers, such as solder or adhesives.Hybrid bonding process forms metal-metal bonding anddielectric-dielectric bonding between bonded wafers. Smooth and flatcontact surfaces are crucial for achieving hybrid-bonded structures withstrong bonding strength because gaps or debris between wafers can causechemical bonds to fail which in turn reduces device yield andreliability. Therefore, wafer surfaces to be joined together during thehybrid bonding processes are usually planarized to achieve a smooth andflat contact surface. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes areoften used to planarize the wafer surfaces. However, dielectric layersformed on semiconductor wafers may have uneven film thicknesses and theCMP process may not result in a sufficiently uniform and flat contactsurface. Therefore, the non-uniformity of the dielectric layers cancause under-etching and/or over-etching of the dielectric materialduring the formation of lead wires, which in turn causes low deviceyield and/or device failure. For example, under-etching of dielectricmaterial can cause circuit breaks, while over-etching of dielectricmaterial can cause pre-mature and over exposure of conductive structureand ion bombardment during the etching process can damage surfaces ofthe conductive structure. In both scenarios of under-etching andover-etching of the dielectric materials, electrical connection failurecan occur in the hybrid-bonded wafers.

Various embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure providefabricating methods for forming high-yield lead wire structures inhybrid-bonded semiconductor wafers. In some embodiments, thehybrid-bonded semiconductor wafers can be used to form athree-dimensional (3D) memory device. Alternating dielectric layer stackand varying etching rates of dielectric materials are incorporated inlead wire structures to reduce the impact of non-uniform dielectriclayers. Specifically, the alternating dielectric layer stack can includeat least two dielectric layers formed using a first dielectric materialand two dielectric layers formed using a second dielectric material. Thepreset etching rates for the dielectric layers in the alternatingdielectric layer stack and be different or same during one or more stepsof the etching process. After etching through the alternating dielectriclayer stack using preset etching rates, under-etching and over-etchingeffects of dielectric layers can be reduced and reliable electricalconnections of the lead wires are achieved. Therefore, the disclosedmethod can significantly improve device yield and reliability and reducecost. It should be noted that the methods and structures described inthe present disclosure can also be used in any suitable semiconductorstructures such as, for example, a semiconductor interconnect structurefor connecting device components from different layers.

FIG. 1 illustrates a semiconductor wafer 100 having dielectric layersand embedded conductive structures for forming lead wire structures,according to some embodiments. Semiconductor wafer 100 includes asubstrate 102, base dielectric layer 104, first dielectric layer 106formed on base dielectric layer 104, second dielectric layer 108 formedon first dielectric layer 106. In some embodiments, first dielectriclayer 106 can be formed using silicon nitride material. In someembodiments, second dielectric layer 108 can be formed using siliconoxide material. First and second conductive structures 112 and 122 areembedded in base dielectric layer 104. Base dielectric layer 104 can beformed using any suitable dielectric material such as, for example,silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and/or othersuitable dielectric materials. First and second lead wire trenches 110and 120 extend through first and second dielectric layers 106 and 108and respectively exposes portions of first and second conductivestructures 112 and 122. First and second dielectric layers 106 and 108can have different etching rates during the etching processes that formsfirst and second lead wire trenches 110 and 120. For example, etchingrate of second dielectric layer 108 can be about five times the etchingrate of first dielectric layer 106, according to some embodiments. Insome embodiments, etching rate of second dielectric layer 108 can bebetween 5-10 times the etching rate of first dielectric layer 106. Insome embodiments. In some embodiments, the etching selectivity betweenfirst and second dielectric layer 106 and 108 can be greater than 10.Other structures can be included in semiconductor wafer 100 and are notillustrated here for simplicity. It should be noted that elements shownin FIG. 1 are for illustrative purposes and may not be drawn to scale.

First and second dielectric layers 106 and 108 can be formed bysequentially disposing respective dielectric materials. For example, asilicon nitride layer can be disposed on the top surface of basedielectric layer 104 and a silicon oxide layer can be sequentiallydisposed on the top surface of the silicon nitride layer. However, firstand second dielectric layers 106 and 108 can have non-uniform thicknessand/or surface flatness. For example, flatness of first dielectric layer106 can be illustrated by measuring the separations between variouspoints located on the top surface of first dielectric layer 106 and thecorresponding points located on a top surface 101 of second dielectriclayer 108. As shown in FIG. 1, a largest separation D11 is measured at afurthest separation between top surface of first dielectric layer 106and top surface 101 of second dielectric layer 108, while a smallestseparation D12 is measured at a closest separation between the twosurfaces. In some embodiments, D11 can be about 12000 Å and D12 can beabout 8000 Å. First dielectric layer 106 can be formed using siliconnitride and has a thickness about 1000 Å. In some embodiments, theetching rate of first dielectric layer 106 can be about 1 Å/s and theetching rate of second dielectric layer 108 can be about 5 Å/s. In someembodiments, the etching rate of first dielectric layer 106 can bebetween about 270 Å/min and about 330 Å/min. For example, etching rateof first dielectric layer 106 can be about 300 Å/min. In someembodiments, the etching rate of second dielectric layer 108 can bebetween about 2700 Å/min and about 3300 Å/min. For example, etching rateof second dielectric layer 108 can be about 3000 Å/min.

To form lead wire structures, first and second lead wire trenches 110and 120 are formed in first and second dielectric layers 106 and 108 bypatterning and etching the dielectric layers and subsequently fillingthe trenches by conductive material. In some embodiments, the etchingprocesses can be performed by any suitable etching processes such as,for example, a plasma etching process, a wet chemical etching process,other suitable etching processes, and/or combinations thereof. However,due to non-uniformity of first and second dielectric layers 106 and 108,under-etching and/or over-etching of the dielectric layers can occur,which may lead to over exposure of the underlying first and secondconductive structures 112 and/or 122, as explained in detail below.

For illustrative purposes, the etching process that forms first andsecond lead wire trenches 110 and 120 can be divided into three etchingsteps. In the first etching step, openings are etched in seconddielectric layer 108 with a depth of D12. Since the etching process onlyetches second dielectric layer 108 during the first etching step, theetched depths are substantially similar between first and second leadwire trenches 110 and 120. In the second etching step, first dielectriclayer 106 has started to being etched in first lead wire trench 110while in second lead wire trench 120 the remaining second dielectriclayer 108 is being etched until the underlying first dielectric layer106 is exposed. Therefore, the duration of the second etching step isdetermined by the depth and etching rate of the remaining seconddielectric layer 108 in second lead wire trench 120. As shown in FIG. 1,the remaining second dielectric layer 108 has a depth that equals toD11−D12=12000 Å−8000 Å=4000 Å. Based on the etch rate of about 5 Å/s forsecond dielectric layer 108, it can be determined that the secondetching process lasts for a time period of about 800 s (determined by4000 Å/5 Å/s). During the second etching step, first dielectric layer106 is also being etched for 800 s with an etched depth D13=800 s*1Å/s=800 Å. After the second etching step, the remaining first dielectriclayer 106 in first lead wire trench 110 has a depth of 200 Å (determinedby 1000 Å−800 Å). Since the second etching step stops when firstdielectric layer 106 is exposed in second lead wire trench 120, theremaining thickness of first dielectric layer 106 in second lead wiretrench 120 equals to the thickness of first dielectric layer 106 that isabout 1000 Å. Therefore, at the end of the second etching step, portionsof first dielectric layer 106 that remains in first and second lead wiretrenches 110 and 120 are 200 Å and 1000 Å, respectively. In the thirdetching step, the remaining portions of first dielectric layer 106 infirst and second lead wire trenches 110 and 120 are removed usingsubstantially similar etching rates (e.g., 1 Å/s). After the portion offirst dielectric layer 106 (having depth of about 200 Å) is removed fromfirst lead wire trench 110 to expose portions of underlying firstconductive structure 112, portions of first dielectric layer 106 havinga depth of about 800 Å remain in second lead wire trench 120. Therefore,the third etching step continues until first dielectric layer 106 iscompletely removed from second lead wire trench 120 such that at leastportions of the top surface of second conductive structure 122 areexposed. However, during this process of removing 800 Å of firstdielectric layer 106 in second lead wire trench 120, the lengthy etchingprocess on the exposed first conductive structure 112 can causeundesirable effects. If a plasma etching process is used, ions in theplasma etching process will continue to bombard the exposed portions offirst conductive structure 112 that can result in high surfaceroughness, which in turn can cause circuit breaks and/or high contactresistance in the subsequently formed lead wire. Similarly, if a wetchemical etching process is used, chemicals in the chemical solutionwill continue to etch away exposed surfaces of first conductivestructure 112, also causing high surface roughness. Therefore, there isa need to shorten the time period when first conductive structure 112 isexposed under the etching process while dielectric material is beingremoved to expose second conductive structure 122.

FIGS. 2-13 illustrate exemplary fabrication processes for forming hybridbonding structures with improved lead wire structures, according to someembodiments. Specifically, FIGS. 2-5 illustrate an exemplary fabricationprocess for forming conductive structures in a base dielectric layer,FIGS. 6-11 illustrate an exemplary fabrication process for forming leadwire trenches in the alternating dielectric layer stack, and FIGS. 12-13illustrate forming lead wire structures in the lead wire trenches,according to some embodiments. FIGS. 14-15 describe flow diagramsillustrating exemplary methods for forming hybrid bonding structureswith improved lead wire structures. For simplicity purposes, FIGS. 2-13are described with reference to the method described in FIGS. 14 and 15.Based on the disclosure herein, operations in method 1400 of FIG. 14 canbe performed in a different order and/or vary. Other operations may beincluded in method 1400 and are not shown for simplicity.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 14, method 1400 begins with operation 1410 byproviding substrate 202 and forming base dielectric layer 204 on a topsurface of substrate 202, according to some embodiments. In someembodiments, substrate 202 can include any suitable material for forminga three-dimensional memory structure. In some embodiments, substrate 202can include silicon, silicon germanium, silicon carbide, silicon oninsulator (SOI), germanium on insulator (GOI), glass, gallium nitride,gallium arsenide, any suitable III-V compound material, and/orcombinations thereof. Base dielectric layer 204 can be formed using anysuitable dielectric material such as, for example, silicon oxide,silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, and/or other suitable dielectricmaterials. The deposition of base dielectric layer 204 can include anysuitable methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapordeposition (PVD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), sputtering, metal-organicchemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and/orcombinations thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, method 1400 continues with operation 1420 byforming conductive structures in the base dielectric layer, according tosome embodiments. FIG. 3 illustrates the partially-fabricatedsemiconductor wafer 200 after trenches are formed in the base dielectriclayer, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 3, first andsecond trenches 312 and 322 are formed in base dielectric layer 204.Widths of first and second trenches 312 and 322 can determine the widthsof subsequently formed conductive structures. First and second trenches312 and 322 can be formed by etching trenches in based dielectric layer204 based on circuit layout design that are imprinted onphotolithography masks. First and second trenches 312 and 322 can beformed by forming a mask layer over base dielectric layer 204 andpatterning the mask using, e.g., photolithography processes, to formopenings corresponding to the trenches in the patterned mask layer.Suitable etching processes, e.g., dry etch and/or wet etch, can beperformed to remove portions of base dielectric layer 204 exposed by theopenings until a nominal trench depth is reached. The etching processescan be plasma processes such as, for example, a reactive ion etching(RIE) process using oxygen-based plasma. In some embodiments, the RIEetching process may include etchant gas such as, for example, CF₄, SF₆,CHF₃, and/or other suitable gases. Numerous other etching methods canalso be suitable. The mask layer can be removed after the formation offirst and second trenches 312 and 322.

FIG. 4 illustrates the partially-fabricated semiconductor wafer 200after trenches are filled with conductive material, according to someembodiments. As shown in FIG. 4, a conductive layer 412 is disposed tofill first and second trenches 312 and 322. In some embodiments,conductive layer 412 overflows onto the top surface of base dielectriclayer 204 after completely filling first and second trenches 312 and322. Conductive layer 412 can be formed using any suitable conductivematerial such as, for example, tungsten, aluminum, silver, copper,and/or combinations thereof. Conductive layer 412 can include conductormaterials disposed by one or more thin film deposition processesincluding, but not limited to, CVD, PVD, ALD, electroplating,electroless plating, or any combinations thereof. Fabrication processesto form conductive layer 412 can also include photolithography, CMP,wet/dry etch, or any combination thereof.

FIG. 5 illustrates the partially-fabricated semiconductor wafer 200after a planarization process, according to some embodiments. As shownin FIG. 5, conductive layer 412 is thinned down and planarized such thatfirst and second conductive structures 512 and 522 are formed in basedielectric layer 204. The thin down process can include any suitableetching process such as, for example, a plasma etching process, a wetchemical etching process, and/or combinations thereof. In someembodiments, a planarization process can be used to thin down andplanarize conductive layer 412 such that after planarization theremaining conductive layer 412 forms first and second conductivestructures 512 and 522, and that top surfaces of first and secondconductive structures 512 and 522 are coplanar with the top surface ofbase dielectric layer 204.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 14, method 1400 continues with operation 1430 byforming an alternating dielectric layer stack on the top surface of thebase dielectric layer, according to some embodiments. FIG. 6 illustratesa semiconductor wafer 600 having an alternating dielectric layer stackand embedded conductive structures for forming lead wire structures.Semiconductor wafer 600 includes substrate 602, base dielectric layer604, and alternating dielectric layer stack 605 formed on basedielectric layer 604. Alternating dielectric layer stack 605 can includefirst dielectric layer 606, second dielectric layer 608, thirddielectric layer 610, and fourth dielectric layer 612. In someembodiments, first dielectric layer 606 and third dielectric layer 610can be formed using silicon nitride material and having similar etchingrate. In some embodiments, second dielectric layer 608 and fourthdielectric layer 612 can be formed using silicon oxide material andhaving similar etching rate. First and second conductive structures 612and 622 are embedded in base dielectric layer 604. In some embodiments,alternating dielectric layer stack 605 can further include otherdielectric layers, depending on device design and needs.

First through fourth dielectric layers 606 to 612 can be formed byalternatingly disposing respective dielectric materials. For example, asilicon nitride layer can be disposed on the top surface of basedielectric layer 604 to form first dielectric layer 606. A silicon oxidelayer can be sequentially disposed on the top surface of the firstdielectric layer 606 to form second dielectric layer 608. Similarly,another silicon nitride layer can be disposed on the top surface ofsecond dielectric layer 608 to form third dielectric layer 610. Further,another silicon oxide layer can be disposed on the top surface of thirddielectric layer 610 to form fourth dielectric layer 612. However, thedisposed dielectric layers may have non-uniform thickness and/or surfaceflatness. For example, flatness of third dielectric layer 610 can beillustrated by measuring the separations between various points locatedon the top surface of third dielectric layer 610 and correspondingpoints located on a top surface 601 of fourth dielectric layer 612. Asan example, the respective largest and smallest separations D61 and D62are similar to D11 and D12 described above in FIG. 1. For example, D61can be about 12000 Å and D62 can be about 8000 Å. For illustrationpurposes only, each dielectric layer of alternating dielectric layerstack 605 has a thickness of about 1000 Å. In some embodiments, eachdielectric layer of alternating dielectric layer stack 605 can have athickness of between about 255 Å and 345 Å. For example, a siliconnitride dielectric layer can be about 300 Å. In some embodiments, anoxide dielectric layer can be between about 5600 Å and 8400 Å. Forexample, an oxide dielectric layer can be about 7000 Å. In someembodiments, the dielectric layers of alternating dielectric layer stack605 can have any other suitable thicknesses depending on device design,needs, and fabrication variation. Further, silicon nitride and siliconoxide dielectric layers can have same or different preset etching ratesto achieve similar or different etching selectivities. For example,silicon nitride etching rate can be about 1 Å/s and silicon oxideetching rate can be about 5 Å/s. In some embodiments, silicon nitrideand silicon oxide etching rate can be adjusted to be about the same(e.g., about 1 Å/s).

Method 1400 continues with operation 1440 by planarizing the top surfaceof the alternating dielectric layer stack, according to someembodiments. In some embodiments, the planarization process can be a CMPprocess.

Method 1400 continues with operation 1450 by etching through thealternating dielectric layer stack using preset etching rates to formlead wire openings and expose at least portions of the top surfaces ofthe conductive structures, according to some embodiments. To form leadwire structures, first and second lead wire trenches are formed throughalternating dielectric layer stack 605 by patterning and etching thedielectric layers and subsequently filling the trenches by conductivematerial. As further explained below with references to FIGS. 7-11, theincorporation of alternating dielectric layer stack 605 and presetetching rates can reduce the impact of dielectric film non-uniformityand reduce under-etching and/or over-etching of the dielectric layers.As a result, over exposure of the underlying conductive structures canbe minimized, which in turn leads to improved device yield andreliability. For illustrative purposes, the etching process in operation1450 of method 1400 that forms lead wire trenches in semiconductor water600 can be divided into five etching steps, described respectively inFIGS. 7-11 and with reference to FIG. 15.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 15, method 1400 continues with operation1451 where the first etching step includes forming first and secondopenings 710 and 720 in fourth dielectric layer 612 until thirddielectric layer 610 is exposed in first opening 710, according to someembodiments. In some embodiments, more openings can be formed and arenot illustrated for simplicity. In some embodiments, first and secondopenings 710 and 720 can be lead wire trenches. In some embodiments,first and second openings 710 and 720 can be openings for forminginterconnect structures. In some embodiments, the flatness variation offilms can cause height variations across the wafer. For example, similarto depths D11 and D12 described in FIG. 1, depth D71 and D72 can beabout 8000 Å and 12000 Å respectively. Since the etching process onlyetches fourth dielectric layer 612 during the first etching step, theetched depths of the openings are substantially similar between firstand second openings 710 and 720. First and second openings can be formedusing suitable processes, including patterning and etch processes. Thepatterning process can include forming a photoresist layer overlyingfourth dielectric layer 612, exposing the photoresist layer to apattern, performing post-exposure bake processes, and developing thephotoresist layer to form a masking element including the resist. Themasking element can protect regions of fourth dielectric layer 612,while etch processes are used to remove dielectric material and formopenings in fourth dielectric layer and underlying layers. The etchingprocess can be a reactive ion etch (RIE) process and/or other suitableprocess. The etching process can continue until third dielectric layer610 is exposed, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 7, dueto film non-uniformity, third dielectric layer is exposed in firstopening 710 while it is still being buried under fourth dielectric layer612 in second opening 720. In some embodiments, the portion of fourthdielectric layer 612 remaining over third dielectric layer 610 in secondopening 720 can have a depth D73=D72−D71=12000 Å−8000 Å=4000 Å.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 15, method 1400 continues with operation1452 where the second etching step includes further etching thealternating dielectric layer stack 605 to increase the depth of firstand second openings 710 and 720 until third dielectric layer 610 isexposed in second opening 720, according to some embodiments. In thesecond etching step, third dielectric layer 610 has started to beingetched in first opening 710 while in second opening 720 the remainingfourth dielectric layer 612 is being etched until the underlying thirddielectric layer 610 is exposed. Therefore, the duration of the secondetching step is determined by the depth and etching rate of theremaining fourth dielectric layer 612 in second opening 720. Asdiscussed above, the remaining fourth dielectric layer 612 has a depthabout 4000 Å. In some embodiments, fourth dielectric layer 612 can beformed using silicon oxide. During the second etching step, the presetetching rate can be set to high etch selectivity between differentmaterials, for example, a high etch rate for silicon oxide material(e.g., 5 Å/s) can be set for fourth dielectric layer 612 and a low etchrate for silicon nitride material (e.g., 1 Å/s) can be set for thirddielectric layer 610. Therefore, based on the etch rate of about 5 Å/sfor fourth dielectric layer 612, it can be determined that the secondetching process lasts for a time period of about 800 s (determined by4000 Å/5 Å/s). During the second etching step, third dielectric layer610 is also being etched for 800 s with an etched depth D81=800 s*1Å/s=800 Å in first opening 710. After the second etching step, theremaining third dielectric layer 610 in first opening 710 has aremaining thickness of 200 Å (determined by film thickness minus etchedthickness, e.g., 1000 Å−800 Å). Since the second etching step stops whenthird dielectric layer 610 is exposed in second opening 720, theremaining thickness of third dielectric layer 610 in second opening 720equals to the thickness of third dielectric layer 610. Therefore, at theend of the second etching step, portions of third dielectric layer 610that remains in first and second openings 710 and 720 are 200 Å and 1000Å, respectively.

As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 15, method 1400 continues with operation1453 where the third etching step includes further etching thealternating dielectric layer stack 605 to increase the depth of firstand second openings 710 and 720 until first dielectric layer 606 isexposed in first opening 710, according to some embodiments. In thethird etching step, the remaining portions of third dielectric layer 610in first and second openings 710 and 720 are removed and the etchingprocess continues to etch second dielectric layer 608 in both openings.During the third etching step, the preset etching rate can be set to lowetch selectivity between different materials, for example, substantiallysame etching rates (e.g., 1 Å/s) can be used for both second and thirddielectric layers 608 and 610. As a result, respective etching depthsD91 and D92 for openings 710 and 720 during the third etching step canbe substantially the same by adjusting suitable etching parameters ofthe etching process. For example, plasma power, etchant gas type and/orgas flow rate, chamber pressure, processing temperature, and any othersuitable etching parameters can be adjusted to achieve similar etchingrates for different dielectric materials. The third etching stepcontinues until first dielectric layer 606 is exposed in first opening710. Therefore, dielectric materials removed in first opening 710 caninclude the remaining 200 Å of third dielectric layer 610 and the entirethickness (e.g., 1000 Å) of second dielectric layer 608, resulting inetching depths D91 of about 1200 Å. Since D92 of second opening 720 canbe substantially similar to D91 due to similar etching rates, D92 canalso be about 1200 Å. Since third dielectric layer 610 has a thicknessof about 1000 Å, Therefore, after the third etching step, firstdielectric layer 606 is exposed in first opening 710 while about 800 Åof second dielectric layer 608 remains over first dielectric layer 606in second opening 720.

As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 15, method 1400 continues with operation1454 where the fourth etching step includes further etching thealternating dielectric layer stack 605 to increase the depth of firstand second openings 710 and 720 until first dielectric layer 606 isexposed in second opening 720, according to some embodiments. As theremaining second dielectric layer 608 in second opening 720 is removedduring the fourth etching step, the etching depth D1001 in secondopening 720 can be about 800 Å. During the fourth etching step, thepreset etching rate can be set to high etch selectivity betweendifferent materials, for example, a high etch rate for silicon oxidematerial (e.g., 5 Å/s) can be set for second dielectric layer 608 and alow etch rate for silicon nitride material (e.g., 1 Å/s) can be set forfirst dielectric layer 606. Therefore, based on the etch rate of about 5Å/s for second dielectric layer 608, it can be determined that thefourth etching process lasts for a time period of about 160 s(determined by 800 Å/5 Å/s). During the fourth etching step, firstdielectric layer 606 is being etched for 160 s for an etched depth ofD1002=160 s*1 Å/s=160 Å in first opening 710. The fourth etching stepcontinues until first dielectric layer 606 is exposed in second opening720. Therefore, after the fourth etching step, the thickness differenceof remaining first dielectric layer 606 in first and second openings canbe merely 160 Å. Compared with the thickness difference of 800 Å ofremaining first dielectric layer 106 in first and second lead wiretrenches 110 and 120 described above in FIG. 1, the thicknessdifferences have been significantly reduced. After the fourth etchingstep, remaining thicknesses of first dielectric layer 606 in first andsecond openings 710 and 720 are respectively 840 Å (e.g., original filmthickness 1000 Å minus D1002 of 160 Å) and 1000 Å (e.g., original filmthickness of 1000 Å).

As illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 15, method 1400 continues with operation1455 where the fifth etching step includes further etching thealternating dielectric layer stack 605 to increase the depth of firstand second openings 710 and 720 until both underlying conductivestructures are exposed, according to some embodiments. In the fifthetching step, the remaining portions of first dielectric layer 606 infirst and second openings are removed using substantially similaretching rates (e.g., 1 Å/s). After the portion of first dielectric layer606 (depth of about 840 Å) is removed from first opening 710 to exposeportions of underlying first conductive structure 621, portions of firstdielectric layer 606 having a depth of only about 160 Å remain in secondopening 720. The fifth etching step continues until first dielectriclayer 606 is completely removed from second opening 720 such that atleast portions of the top surface of second conductive structure 622 areexposed. The time duration to remove the remaining first dielectriclayer 606 in second opening 720 can be determined by dividing theremaining thickness (1000 Å) by the etching rate of first dielectriclayer 606 (1 Å/s) resulting in a time duration of about 1000 s.Similarly, the time duration to remove the remaining first dielectriclayer 606 from first opening 710 can be determined by dividing theremaining thickness (840 Å) by the same etching rate of 1 Å/s resultingin a time duration of about 840 s. Therefore, after first dielectriclayer 606 has been removed from first opening 710, the exposedunderlying conductive structure 612 would continue to be under theetching process for an additional 160 s (determined by 1000 s−840 s)until first dielectric layer 606 is completely removed in second opening720 and underlying conductive structure 622 is exposed. Compared to thesemiconductor structure described above in FIG. 1 where first conductorstructure 112 is exposed to the etching process for about 800 s, thesignificantly reduced exposure time of about 160 s in the processdescribed in FIG. 10 can reduce or eliminate the undesirable effectsimposed on exposed first conductive structure 621. The reduced exposuretime can reduce surface roughness and contamination, which in turn caneliminate circuit breaks and reduce contact resistance in thesubsequently formed lead wire.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, method 1400 continues with operation 1460where first and second openings are filled with conductive material,according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 12, a conductive layer1202 is disposed to fill first and second openings 710 and 720. In someembodiments, conductive layer 1202 overflows onto the top surface offourth dielectric layer 612 after completely filling first and secondopenings 710 and 720. Conductive layer 1202 can be formed using anysuitable conductive material such as, for example, tungsten, aluminum,silver, copper, and/or combinations thereof. Conductive layer 1202 caninclude conductor materials disposed by one or more thin film depositionprocesses including, but not limited to, CVD, PVD, ALD, electroplating,electroless plating, or any combinations thereof. Fabrication processesto form conductive layer 1202 can also include photolithography, CMP,wet/dry etch, or any combination thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 13, method 1400 continues with operation 1470where the disposed conductive material is planarized to form lead wires,according to some embodiments. Conductive layer 1202 can be thinned downand planarized such that the disposed conductive material within theformed openings are coplanar with the top surface of fourth dielectriclayer 612. After the planarization process respective first and secondlead wires 1312 and 1322 are formed in first and second openings 710 and720. The thin down process can include any suitable etching process suchas, for example, a plasma etching process, a wet chemical etchingprocess, and/or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, aplanarization process can be used to thin down and planarize conductivelayer 1202 such that after planarization the formed first and secondlead wires 1312 and 1322 and the top surface of fourth dielectric layer612 are coplanar. After first and second lead wires 1312 and 1322 areformed, semiconductor wafer 600 can be hybrid bonded with one or moreother semiconductor wafers where the conductive structures anddielectric structures can be respectively bonded together. The hybridbonding process and other semiconductor wafers are not illustrated forsimplicity.

The hybrid-bonded semiconductor wafers formed using the methodsdescribed in the present disclosure can be used to form a 3D memorydevice. Alternating dielectric layer stack and varying etching rates ofdielectric materials are used to form lead wire structures to reduce theimpact of non-uniform dielectric layers. Specifically, the alternatingdielectric layer stack can include at least two dielectric layers with afirst etching rate and at least two other dielectric layers with asecond etching rate, where the first and second etching rates can bedifferent from each other. During one or more steps of the etchingprocess, the first and second etching rates can be adjusted to besimilar to each other. After etching through the alternating dielectriclayer stack using preset etching rates, under-etching and over-etchingeffects of dielectric layers can be reduced and reliable electricalconnections of the lead wires are achieved. Therefore, the disclosedmethod can dramatically improve device yield and reliability and reducecost.

In some embodiments, a method for forming lead wires in a semiconductorstructure is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate andforming a base dielectric layer on the substrate. The method alsoincludes forming first and second conductive structures in the basedielectric layer and disposing an alternating dielectric layer stack.Disposing alternating dielectric layer stack includes disposing a firstdielectric layer on the base dielectric layer and the first and secondconductive structures and sequentially disposing second, third, andfourth dielectric layers. The method further includes planarizing thedisposed alternating dielectric layer stack and forming first and secondopenings by etching the alternating dielectric layer using presetetching rates for each of the first, second, third, and fourthdielectric layers. The forming the first and second openings continuesuntil at least portions of the first and second conductive structuresare exposed. The method also includes forming conductive material in thefirst and second openings to form lead wires.

In some embodiments, a method for forming a semiconductor structureincludes forming a base dielectric layer on a substrate and formingfirst and second conductive structures in the base dielectric layer. Themethod also includes disposing a first dielectric layer on the basedielectric layer and the first and second conductive structures. Themethod further includes sequentially disposing second, third, and fourthdielectric layers. The method also includes: forming first and secondopenings by etching the fourth dielectric layer using a first etchingselectivity in the first and second openings; etching the third andfourth dielectric layers in the first and second openings respectivelyusing a second etching selectivity in the first and second openings;etching the second and third dielectric layers in the first and secondopenings using the first etching selectivity in the first and secondopenings; etching the first dielectric layer in the first opening andthe second dielectric layer in the second opening using the secondetching selectivity in the first and second openings; and etching thefirst dielectric layer in the first and second openings using the firstetching selectivity in the first and second openings. The method furtherincludes forming conductive material in the first and second openings.

In some embodiments, a method for forming a semiconductor structureincludes forming a base dielectric layer on a substrate and formingfirst and second conductive structures in the base dielectric layer. Themethod also includes disposing a first dielectric layer on the basedielectric layer and the first and second conductive structures. Themethod further includes sequentially disposing second, third, and fourthdielectric layers. The method further includes: forming first and secondopenings by etching the fourth dielectric layer using same presetetching rates in the first and second openings; etching the third andfourth dielectric layers in the first and second openings respectivelyusing different preset etching rates in the first and second openings;etching the second and third dielectric layers in the first and secondopenings using same preset etching rates in the first and secondopenings; etching the first dielectric layer in the first opening andthe second dielectric layer in the second opening using differentetching rates in the first and second openings; and etching the firstdielectric layer in the first and second openings using same presetetching rates in the first and second openings to expose portions of thefirst and second conductive structures. The method further includesforming conductive material in the first and second openings and on theexposed portions of the first and second conductive structures to formlead wires.

In some embodiments, a lead wire semiconductor structure includes asubstrate and a base dielectric layer on the substrate. The lead wiresemiconductor structure also includes a plurality of conductivestructures in the base dielectric layer and an alternating dielectriclayer stack having at least two silicon oxide layers and two siliconnitride layers alternatively formed on the base dielectric layer. Thelead wire semiconductor structure further includes a plurality of leadwires formed in the alternating dielectric layer stack, where each leadwire is in contact with and electrically connected to a conductivestructure of the plurality of conductive structures.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fullyreveal the general nature of the present disclosure that others can, byapplying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/oradapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undueexperimentation, without departing from the general concept of thepresent disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications areintended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of thedisclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presentedherein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, suchthat the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is tobe interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings andguidance.

Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with theaid of functional building blocks illustrating the implementation ofspecified functions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of thesefunctional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for theconvenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined solong as the specified functions and relationships thereof areappropriately performed.

The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not allexemplary embodiments of the present disclosure as contemplated by theinventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the present disclosureand the appended claims in any way.

The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited byany of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be definedonly in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for forming a semiconductor structure,the method comprising: forming a base dielectric layer on a substrate;forming first and second conductive structures in the base dielectriclayer; disposing a first dielectric layer on the base dielectric layerand the first and second conductive structures; sequentially disposingsecond, third, and fourth dielectric layers; forming first and secondopenings by etching the fourth dielectric layer using a first etchingselectivity in the first and second openings; etching the third andfourth dielectric layers in the first and second openings respectivelyusing a second etching selectivity in the first and second openings;etching the second and third dielectric layers in the first and secondopenings using the first etching selectivity in the first and secondopenings; etching the first dielectric layer in the first opening andthe second dielectric layer in the second opening using the secondetching selectivity in the first and second openings; etching the firstdielectric layer in the first and second openings using the firstetching selectivity in the first and second openings; and formingconductive material in the first and second openings.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein disposing the first and third dielectric layerscomprise disposing silicon nitride layers using chemical vapordeposition (CND) processes.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein disposingthe second and fourth dielectric layers comprise disposing silicon oxidelayers using CVD processes.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein formingthe base dielectric layer comprises disposing a dielectric materialusing CVD processes.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the firstand second conductive structures comprises: etching trenches in the basedielectric layer based on a circuit layout design; disposing conductivematerial into the trenches and on the base dielectric layer; andremoving the conductive material disposed on the base dielectric layersuch that top surfaces of the conductive material in the trenches arecoplanar with a top surface of the base dielectric layer.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein at least two of the first, second, third, and fourthdielectric layers have non-uniform thickness and non-uniform surfaceflatness.
 7. A method for forming a semiconductor structure, the methodcomprising: forming a base dielectric layer on a substrate; formingfirst and second conductive structures in the base dielectric layer;disposing a first dielectric layer on the base dielectric layer and thefirst and second conductive structures; sequentially disposing second,third, and fourth dielectric layers; performing a first etch process tothe fourth dielectric layer to form first and second openings, whereinthe first opening exposes the third dielectric layer, and the secondopening does not exposes the third dielectric layer; performing a secondetch process to etch the third dielectric layer in the first opening andthe fourth dielectric layer in the second opening respectively until thesecond opening exposing the third dielectric layer; performing a thirdetch process to etch the second and third dielectric layers in the firstand second openings respectively until the first opening exposing thefirst dielectric layer; performing a fourth etch process to etch thefirst dielectric layer in the first opening, and etch the thirddielectric layer in the second opening respectively until the secondopening exposing the first dielectric layer; performing a fifth etchprocess to etch the first dielectric layer in the first and secondopenings respectively until the first and second openings exposing thefirst and second conductive structures respectively; and formingconductive material in the first and second openings.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein disposing the first and third dielectric layerscomprise disposing silicon nitride layers using chemical vapordeposition (CVD) processes.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein disposingthe second and fourth dielectric layers comprise disposing silicon oxidelayers using CVD processes.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein formingthe base dielectric layer comprises disposing a dielectric materialusing CVD processes.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein forming thefirst and second conductive structures comprises: etching trenches inthe base dielectric layer based on a circuit layout design; disposingconductive material into the trenches and on the base dielectric layer;and removing the conductive material disposed on the base dielectriclayer such that top surfaces of the conductive material in the trenchesare coplanar with a top surface of the base dielectric layer.
 12. Themethod of claim 7, wherein at least two of the first, second, third, andfourth dielectric layers have non-uniform thickness and non-uniformsurface flatness.
 13. The method of claim 7, wherein performing thesecond etch process comprises using a first high etch rate for thefourth dielectric layer, and a first low high etch rate for the thirddielectric layer, the first high etch rate being higher the first lowhigh etch rate.
 14. The method of claim 7, wherein the first high etchrate is at least five times of the first low high etch rate.
 15. Themethod of claim 7, wherein performing the fourth etch process comprisesusing a second high etch rate for the second dielectric layer, and asecond low high etch rate for the first dielectric layer, the secondhigh etch rate being higher than the second low high etch rate.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, the second high etch rate is at least five times ofthe second low high etch rate.